Be committed to your practice and be ready for changes that may affect your way of life. To discard harmful habits may require parting with things that are painful, for you will have to practise detachment. To practise goodwill requires so many sacrifices that you may not have the strength to sustain your practice. But by knowing the impermanence of all things, you will soon be able to grow stronger. So, walk the path with care and do not force yourself into extreme views and practices. Apply wisdom, practise contemplation with honesty, and soon all sacrifices that you are making for the sake of living meritoriously will no longer matter to you. You will move on gradually from the material to the spiritual, and the contentment of life shall no longer be measured by selfish wants and possessions but by whether those about you are happy or not. When this becomes your measure, you will have found the meaning you have long been searching for.
5-Jan-1984 (3)